by Marlowe Blue
Zander would still be an able-bodied teenager if one of us had said something. Now he would never lead a normal life.
Nichols came back in the room. “We’re sending someone over to speak to Mr. Finley. Any information we can get would be helpful. In the meanwhile, the results from your drug test came back.”
Yes. They had taken those blood and urine samples from me when I’d first arrived, but I should be absolutely clean. I hadn’t done anything lately—no alcohol, not even pot.
Nichols’ expression changed from serious to somber. “Lela, are you on drugs?”
McAllister shifted beside me as if he were afraid of what my answer would be.
“No.”
Nichols slid some papers across the table at me. “You sure about that? They found super high traces of Valium and alcohol in your system. No wonder you don’t remember anything. The Valium’s bad enough, but when you mix it with alcohol . . .”
I stared at the papers even though they meant nothing to me. “Bullshit. I might smoke a joint every now and then, but I’m no pill popper. I’m not that stupid. I’ve never taken Valium in my life.”
Bloom banged the table with his fist. “The piss doesn’t lie, girl. There’s Valium in your system, and lots of it. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
McAllister took the papers from me and looked them over. He said nothing at first because there was really nothing to say. It was right there in black and white. “Labs make mistakes all the time,” he said after a few moments.
Bloom ignored him, taking several deep breaths, perhaps trying to calm himself. “There is already an overwhelming amount of evidence against you and things are getting worse by the minute. Now if you didn’t kill those kids, who did? And maybe try to come up with someone who’s not in a wheel chair.”
I rested my head on the table trying to think. My mind went back to our last challenge which was a month ago. After Zander’s falling, this one had been the worst challenge ever. There was another person who might have had a motive, but I knew for a fact he would never do such a thing. Besides that, I couldn’t find it in my heart to utter his name.
8
Four Weeks Ago
Hunter Clark.
Hunter was the dark-haired green-eyed Adonis who gave me butterflies every time I saw him. His father owned a super successful construction company. Hunter worked with him sometimes after school and on the weekends. He had the tan and well-toned body to show for it. Aside from the Hex, his opinion was probably the only one I cared about. Hunter was as perfect as he looked. As far as I knew, he was a nice guy with a good head on his shoulders.
Hunter rolled his eyes when he spotted me stealing a brownie from the cafeteria line. I had plenty of money to purchase the brownie, I could have bought ten if I wanted, but it had been a dare from Charlotte. He cleared his throat loudly in Mr. Marcello’s class when he saw Kristen Hynes passing me the answers to the history test. When I passed him on the way to the football bleachers instead of going to the fourth period class we had together, he asked me if I had forgotten which way the classroom was. It seemed as though every time I did something wrong, he was right there watching, making me feel ashamed.
As crazy as it sounded, something about him reminded me of my father and I didn’t mind that. He was the kind of guy a girl could feel safe with. I’d never seen him with a girlfriend, but if he had one, I imagined he would treat her like a fine porcelain doll.
The only guy I’d ever loved besides him was Coach. We dated our freshman and sophomore years until I’d had enough. Coach was great except for the nasty jealous streak. I could be a huge flirt sometimes, but when we were together I toned that down. Even when guys flirted with me, he would blame me as if it were something I could control. Coach was a good guy, but when he was angry, something lurked beneath his cool surface like a shark waiting to feed. Coach was the reason I’d kept my colossal crush on Hunter a secret. Morgan was the only other person I’d told. I thought about telling Charlotte, but she told AJ everything. AJ would tell Brayden and it would eventually get back to Coach.
When Coach wasn’t around I would play with Hunter because it was so easy. No matter what he thought of me and my friends, I knew he liked me. I could tell by the way he almost bumped into walls when I passed by or how he would smirk when he pretended not to see me walking by.
He stopped by my locker on a Monday morning after a particularly crazy weekend. “I saw the video you guys posted.”
I pretended to look for something deep in the bowels of my locker. “Did you? I thought you were a firm disapprover of the Hex and our . . . what did you call it . . . shenanigans? Who even uses that word?”
He grinned sheepishly. “I actually like that word a lot. I try to use it as much as possible. What are you looking for in there?”
I slammed my locker door shut, pretending to be bothered even though I didn’t want him to leave. “So, you saw our video and what? Did you stop by to give me a lecture or something? Let me save you some time. Nothing you can say will stop me from doing stunts. I’m addicted to it.”
That was true. Adrenaline was like a drug. That mixed with the competitiveness of keeping my ‘Queen of the Hex’ title made doing challenges heaven.
He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Okay. If you say so. I was going to say that you shouldn’t be on a skateboard ramp with no helmet. It would be a shame to see that pretty head splattered like a pumpkin.”
Ew.
He adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. It was always jam-packed full of books. “You know that’s what would happen, right, if a human skull were to come against cement with enough force. Do you really think it’s worth it just to show off?”
I bit my bottom lip, trying to act like he wasn’t pissing me off. “I don’t do it to show off. I do it because it’s fun. We’re not bothering anybody so what business is it of yours?”
Hunter shrugged. “It’s not my business I guess.”
I softened my tone. “You think my head’s pretty?”
He smirked, showing me his amazingly adorable dimples. “I do but my grandma always said you can’t be pretty and smart at the same time.”
“Hey! Are you calling me stupid?”
He took a step back. “Yes, I am. You and all your friends. People who car surf are certified idiots. You know how many horrible things can happen?”
The seriousness of his tone hurt my feelings. We weren’t joking around anymore. He really thought I was stupid. “We only do it on deserted roads where no one else is around. No one is going to get hurt but us and that’s our prerogative.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Like I said, certified idiots. Later.” With that he turned and headed to his next class. I wanted to hit him in the head with a book.
I sighed, leaning against my locker. Who was I kidding? Hunter Clark was a gorgeous, smart, kindhearted guy. He drove a Range Rover and got straight A’s. Every girl in school wanted him and he would never end up with the likes of me. Honestly, I didn’t deserve him.
That Friday night the swim team threw a party at the shore to celebrate going to the finals. Everyone was supposed to come in their swim wear prepared to get in the water but that night was way too cold. Still, I wore my purple and white polka-dot bikini like a good sport, underneath my hoodie and faded jeans. Morgan, Charlotte, and I spent a good portion of the night hunched over one of the barrel can fires trying to keep warm. The twins played football on the beach and I hadn’t seen Coach the whole night.
“Look over there.” Morgan pointed behind me.
Hunter climbed out of his Range Rover wearing a pair of long shorts, a sweatshirt, and flip flops. I was surprised to see him because he rarely came to parties. I turned around quickly before he saw me looking at him.
“OMG,” Charlotte said after a moment. Her hair was still long then and she’d flipped it over her shoulders. “He’s coming this way,” she said, practically squealing. What was she so excited about? She was with AJ and she didn’t kno
w I liked Hunter unless Morgan had told her.
“Ladies,” a smooth voice said from behind us.
I glanced over my shoulder casually. “Oh, hey, Hunter.”
“Hey, Hunter,” Charlotte and Morgan said in sing-song voices and I wanted to punch them both.
Morgan looked down at the fire, trying to suppress a smile. “Surprised to see you here.”
Hunter grinned at her, making me slightly jealous. I wanted that smile to be for me only. “Yeah. My old man let me off early so I decided to swing by.”
Or maybe you heard a certain girl would be here and you wanted to see her? I suddenly wished I had worn a better pair of jeans.
“That’s nice,” I muttered nonchalantly.
Hunter scratched his chin and I couldn’t help but notice how his green eyes dazzled in the firelight. He took a quick glance around the beach. “Hey, is there anything to drink around here?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “There’s some coolers a little way down. They might have some Cokes or Capri Suns for you,” I teased.
Hunter laughed. “Can you show me?”
Morgan winked and my stomach flipped. Still, I tried my best to act like I didn’t care. “Yeah. Sure. I guess.”
I left the girls to lead Hunter to the coolers. As my feet sunk into the sand with each step, I racked my mind for something to say. Why was I suddenly so nervous around him?
“This is nice,” he said as we walked through groups of kids talking in groups or moving wildly to the music. The swim team and a few of the cheerleaders did some chants on the sure, trying to remind people what we were there for.
“Yeah, it is nice.” We stopped beside the coolers. “What do you want to drink?”
He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You choose.”
I wasn’t sure if Hunter drank alcohol or not but he had left the choice up to me, so I grabbed two bottles of beer.
He took one bottle from me. “Thanks. Why don’t we go sit over there?” He pointed to some rocks right on the edge of the water away from everyone.
My heart quivered at the thought of us being alone. “Okay.”
He helped me climb up and I settled down beside him. Hunter dug his keys from his pocket and opened both our beers with his bottle opener. “Can I tell you a secret?”
I took a long swig of my beer, enjoying the feel of the cool liquid running down my throat. “Sure.”
“I only came here tonight because I figured you’d be here.”
I was glad we were in the dark because my face must have been a bright shade of red. “Really.”
“Yeah. It’s good to see you doing normal things like this rather than all that crazy stuff.”
All the butterflies I’d just felt fluttered away. “I don’t need you judging me, Hunter. I already have two parents who do a good enough job of that already.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I don’t want to be judgmental. It’s just that I worry and I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
“You worry about me?” The butterflies swarmed back and settled in my belly.
He nodded. “Yes. I watch the videos along with everyone else and I’m afraid that something really bad is going to happen one of these days.”
Something bad had already happened. What would Hunter think of me if he knew about what we’d done to Zander?
“Well, that’s sweet, I guess.”
He had a faraway look in his eyes as he stared at the water. “For some crazy reason, even though my mind is telling me not to, I have a thing for you, Lela Dupree.”
The wind blew my hair wild and he tucked a piece of it behind my ear. I shivered under his touch. “You might want to think about that. I do crazy things. I cut class and smoke weed occasionally. I’ve even been to juvie.”
“I know,” Hunter said. “I know. You’re like a piece of bubble gum and I’m a kid with braces who’s not supposed to have you, but I want you anyway.”
I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it. “That was the corniest thing I’ve ever heard, but it was sweet.”
There was a pause and a brief moment of silence in between us before Hunter leaned in and pressed his mouth against mine. His lips were soft and warm and he tasted like beer. Still, the kiss was perfect. I wanted it to last forever but Hunter pulled back suddenly, grabbing the back of his head. “Oh, shit.”
A rock the size of my fist landed behind us. Hunter and I stood, looking around because rocks didn’t fly on their own. From the corner of my eye I spotted a hulking figure with hunched shoulders stalking toward the trees. Coach. Thankfully Hunter was looking in a different direction.
“You see anyone?” Hunter asked.
“No,” I lied. If Hunter went after Coach, it would be a whole big thing and a nice guy like Hunter didn’t stand a chance against a human viper.
I pulled Hunter’s hoodie down to examine his head. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” Through his soft hair, I felt a small bump already forming. My stomach twisted in knots. I was going to kill Coach.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It was probably just someone playing around. No big deal.”
I wanted our kiss to resume but thanks to Coach, the moment had been ruined.
Hunter looked across the water. “Anyway, I was hoping I would be able to see you sometime. You know, outside of school. Not at a party.”
My cheeks warmed. “You mean a date?”
He nodded. “That’s if I can pull you away from your maniac friends for one night.”
He made it sound as if I spent every waking second with them. We spent a majority of our time together, but Saturday nights were sacred. Those nights were for challenges only and they couldn’t be missed—no excuses. The only exception Coach had ever made was when Charlotte had to go out of town for her grandmother’s funeral and he had even given her a hard time over that.
“How’s next Friday?” I asked before he could make plans for Saturday.
Hunter winked at me. “Friday sounds fabulous.”
When I was a little girl my dad used to take me on father-daughter dates. He’d gotten the idea from some book. The purpose was to show me how a man was supposed to treat me when I got older.
Dad always took me to dinner and a movie. He would open doors for me. Carry my things. Ask me if I were okay or if I needed anything. He made me feel like a princess. As I got older, I realized that was all bullshit. Guys didn’t really act like that, except for maybe in movies. Then I met Coach and realized that my father was a rare jewel. Coach didn’t believe in asking me on dates. He would tell me where to meet him and maybe he would show up. If he did, it was always with a group of his friends. He rarely paid, always complaining about how my family had more money than his. If I were cold, he wouldn’t offer me his jacket. He’d tell me that’s what I got for not planning properly. One thing I could give him credit for was opening doors for me.
My date with Hunter that Friday night made me realize a few things. One, all guys weren’t the same, and two, there were still some good guys out there like my father.
Hunter took me to a fancy restaurant outside of town. I didn’t own many nice dresses, just the ones my mother made me keep just in case. I’d worn a strapless short back dress with gold heels and a leopard print clutch.
Hunter did everything my father said he was supposed to do. He arrived on time, texting me when he was on the way. He didn’t blow the horn. He actually came to the door and knocked with a bouquet of lilies. He opened the car door for me. On the way to the restaurant, he made sure I wasn’t too hot or too cold and he didn’t look at his phone the entire night.
Although I couldn’t have asked for more from Hunter, I felt more and more guilty as the night went on. The treatment I was receiving, I didn’t deserve. It belonged to some other girl who didn’t do terrible things and ruin people’s lives. It belonged to a girl worthy of Hunter. I deserved Coach and all the trouble that came with him.
After dinner we drove out to The Bluff—a well-known afte
r date hang-out spot for couples. Surprisingly, there were only two other cars there that night. Hunter and I got out and sat on the hood of his Range Rover. He took a small blanket from the back and placed it around my shoulders.
Even under the blanket, I shivered. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
He watched me for a moment like he was trying to figure out why I would ask such a question. “Because I like you, Lela. I thought that was clear. I mean, how should I be treating the girl that I like?”
Tears threatened to fall but I held them back. “Why do you like me?”
Hunter moved closer to me and I started to warm up. “I like the way you carry yourself. There’s just something mysterious about you. I like how you do your own thing and how you don’t care what other people think. You’re smart, even though you pretend not to be for some reason. And, at the risk of sounding superficial, you’re freaking beautiful.”
I was hot then. I balled the blanket up and held it in my lap. “But I’ve done something horrible. You know that. Everyone knows.”
He took my hand and squeezed it. I expected his hand to be rougher since he worked with them so much, but they were surprisingly soft. “That was a mistake. It could have happened to any of us.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, grateful that he hadn’t judged me like most people did. Was that right? Could the terrible thing I did have happened to anyone or just to girls who were too stupid to walk away?
We stayed at The Bluff talking for hours. That night with Hunter was the best night of my life and it was the last one I would ever have.
Detective Bloom left the room and came back with three cups of steaming coffee. “Want some?” he asked, already pushing a cup across the table.
I didn’t, but I thanked him anyway. He and Nichols sipped their coffee slowly, watching me over their cups. Finally, Nichols sighed and sifted through one of the file folders in front of him. “Lela, if you didn’t do this, you must know who did.”
